Ed Walker hoping English Oak will bounce back in Hungerford Stakes

A dominant performance in the Buckingham Palace Stakes led to connections stepping up English Oak into Group 2 company for his next assignment.

The son of Wootton Bassett finished a commendable fourth in the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. With many excuses for his performance on the Sussex Downs, trainer Ed Walker is hopeful that the Wathnan Racing owned four-year-old will perform as impressively in Saturday’s Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury Racecourse as he did at Royal Ascot.

Reviewing his run in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes, Walker said: “It was a strange race at Goodwood, we went there confident he would be very competitive. On reflection he was beaten by three Group 1 winners so you can’t be too disappointed.”

“I don’t think he ran to the level of Ascot or Haydock to that matter. I think it was a disappointing run.

“There are reasons for that, firstly, I don’t think the track played to his strengths and secondly, he twisted a shoe.

“He wasn’t lame but when he came in, he had a shoe ever so slightly shifted which must have happened on the way to post as James said he stumbled a few times going down.

“If he ran with a shoe like that which we will never actually know, then he is a remarkably brave horse, and it was a seriously impressively performance considering.”

The feature race of the day at Newbury, run this year for an increased prize fund of £125,000, is run over the straight seven furlongs which Walker believes will suit English Oak: “I think you will see a different horse to the one at Goodwood. I think the shoe, the track, there are so many factors that contributed to what I deem as a below par performance so hopefully we will see his true colours on Saturday.

“We have just freshened him up, Matty his regular rider has been very happy with him, he looks great, moving well.

“The timing of the York race would probably work better but I’m keen to go to Newbury and I think it’s the perfect spot for him.”

A 200,000gns purchase from Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling sale, English Oak was unraced as a two-year-old.

Having enjoyed a progressive campaign this season winning two of his four starts, Walker explains the improvement seen: “As a three-year-old he wasn’t racing properly, he wasn’t behaving well in his races, he got anxious in the stalls, he was keen.

“He went the wrong way with racing. Tom Marquand did an amazing job at Ascot at the end of last year and at Newmarket at the beginning of this season to re-educate him.

“He’s much more relaxed horse this year, much happier and more comfortable in his own skin and as result running to a higher level and behaving properly in his races. A lot of that is down to Tom and Matty who rides him every day at home.”

Having raced over six furlongs and a mile there is a much-debated topic over future campaigns, Walker commented: “My dream for him is to win on Saturday, go to the Prix de la Forêt and then the Breeders’ Cup Mile, that would be the dream scenario.”

Walker is also set to be represented by Popmaster in Saturday’s BetVictor Hungerford Stakes.

Walker commented on the six-year-olds chances: “He hasn’t run since Newcastle at the end of June where he was disappointing in the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes.

“He is in a difficult spot; he is highly rated and won at Listed level at Newbury last year on soft ground. We have been trying to hold off for soft ground but slightly running out of patience and it won’t be soft on Saturday.

“He goes on fast ground but to be at his best he needs cut so he might be up against it on Saturday. He needs the run and there is nothing else really until the Park Stakes at Doncaster.

“Popmaster is very talented, he is a little bit quirky, you won’t know what he is going to do or what performance he is going to throw in so he will probably be the outsider of the field, but I wouldn’t put anyone off having a couple of quid each way on him.”

Narrowly denied Royal Ascot victory in the Jersey Stakes, Frankel’s half-brother, Kikkuli, will be partnered by Oisin Murphy in Saturday’s BetVictor Hungerford Stakes.

A sixth place finish in the Prix Jean Prat on his last start, the three-year-old will take on his elders when dropping back down in grade to Group 2 company.

The only other three-year-old, and only filly in the field, is the course and distance Fred Darling Stakes winner, Folgaria, trained by Marco Botti.

The 2024 Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes winner Tiber Flow will represent the yard of William Haggas whilst the line-up is completed by the two previous winners of the Hungerford Stakes.

Jumby, winner of the 2022 renewal will be ridden by William Buick for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton and last year’s winner, Witch Hunter, seeks to record back-to-back victories for trainer Richard Hannon, this year due to be partnered by Jamie Spencer.

Five have been declared for the Group 3 BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes, the first race on Saturday’s card. The Shadwell owned Group 3 Coral Glorious Stakes winner, Al Aasy, heads the field.

The action continues following the conclusion of racing on Saturday as Dizzee Rascal takes to the Party In The Paddock stage. Tickets are available to purchase online at newburyracecourse.co.uk.